


Metas are Monsters

by Justa14writer



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Hurt, Insanity, Murder, Wally Whump, pre-Justice League
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 14:55:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5789740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justa14writer/pseuds/Justa14writer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally took in the sight of bloody bodies of the guards that ruined his life. </p>
<p>He was simultaneously disappointed and relieved to see them breathing.</p>
<p>(He always told himself he wouldn't bloody them. He could fight them, but not bloody them)</p>
<p>But a sound pulled him out of his insane trance.</p>
<p>Clapping.</p>
<p>Someone was impressed. Wally turned, a man in similar prison clothes stood behind him clapping. Clapping. Smiling. He knew this smile. The smile attached to a white face and green hair.</p>
<p>"That was very good my boy." The Joker congratulated. "But why didn't you finish them?"</p>
<p>"Because it's wrong." Not wrong.</p>
<p>"I can show you how to make it right. Show you how everybody can win." He promised.</p>
<p>Wally... smiled.</p>
<p>He could get used to the encouragement for doing what is right. And killing them was so...</p>
<p>*Right*</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>What if Wally slipped up and let someone see his powers?<br/>What if said person was a meta-hating government official?<br/>What if Wally was put in a chain of prisons?<br/>What if said prisons ran through Arkham?<br/>What if insane Wally met the Joker?</p>
<p>This is what happens~</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue:

(Things you need to know before I just kick off)

Dick, Roys and Wally have been friends since they were 12, 15, and 13 (respectively) and they have managed to not only keep it a secret from Oliver, but Bruce as well.

(Right now for the story they are: 

Roy: 17

Wally: 15

Dick: 14)

Batman and Green Arrow weren't suspicious at all. Neither had any reason to be.

The three of them only hung out when their adoptive fathers had business trips.

Alfred, Iris and Barry knew - but didn't ever feel like stopping the secrecy. After all they would find out eventually. After all it wouldn't cause any harm

Wrong.

Wally West has been missing for two months going on three. (But it feels so much longer to Wally. So. Much. Longer.) His birthday was last month.

Dick Grayson and Roy Harper have left Gotham/Star in order to search for Wally.

Bruce and Oliver have no idea the real reason they left.

Barry and Iris have to come to terms with the fact that- Wally's gone.

And he's never coming back.

Dick and Roy- after many heated discussions between them and Barry- also come to terms with this.

And they hold a funeral.

Meanwhile, Wally has come to terms with the fact that he's never being rescued.

He's not mad at his family. 

Being mad hurt so much more than being sad.

But he was dealing.

Dealing with the torture. The experiments. The hatred.

He never let them break him.

They  never got close.

He was too much of a stubborn bastard. 

But that didn't stop them from trying.

Over and over and over.

And while Wally didn't scar physically.

He could *feel* his mind ripping. 

He was insane.

But he was dealing.

He was fixable.

He still had morals. Still had hope for escape. He could knock the guards out in a show of defiance without the need for blood. He could comfort the dieing children also held here for being meta. He could pat the back of older metas. He was insane. But he wasn't gone.

But...

But sometimes...

He feels the weight of his situation. And it was to much.

He needed to do whats *right*. That was the only thing anchoring him to reality. Being a hero.

Hope that he would see Aunt Iris, Uncle Barry, and his bros again. 

He never spoke Dick or Roy's names.

Because those four people were his everything. The only thing from making him go off the deep end.

They knew his Aunt and his Uncle.

(but they also knew that he was the Flash. And they would never dare touch the Flash or his wife.)

(The other prisoners also knew that he was Kid Flash, after all, 'there's no such thing as secret identities in DMI' [thats the motto all the prisoners share.] After all, Wally's not the only former hero to be thrown in here) [DMI: Dangerous Meta Incarceration] (you can just say 'demi' to make it easier to say/read) 

But they didn't know Roy or Dicks identity. All they knew about them were the fond stories he would share with the other prisoners. (Their fake names were Jet[Dick] and Rhett[Roy]) 

They(the guards and scientists) were dieing to know who they really were. Because Wally's attitude was a problem, and they wanted nothing more than to break his friends in front of him.

But Wally would take those names to the grave. 

He had to. Because that was *right*.

Today, January 23rd, marked something new.

Wally was moved.

He wasn't sure where, but he met a whole new set of prisoners and guards and scientists. He thought he was just in another DMI prison, until he went to lunch.

Arkham.

He was in Gotham.


	2. Meeting the Joker

Wally breathed deeply while he took in the sight. The sight of bloody bodies of the guards that ruined his life. So many lives. His bloodied hands shook. Did he kill them? He didn't want to kill them? (And yet he did. He wanted to so bad. But didn't. Couldn't. It's not what Barry would have wanted if he were here) 

He was simultaneously disappointed and relieved to see them breathing.

But a sound pulled him out of his insane trance.

Clapping.

Someone was impressed. Wally turned, a man in similar prison clothes stood behind him clapping. Clapping. Smiling. He knew this smile. The smile attached to a white face and green hair.

"That was very good my boy." The Joker congratulated. "But why didn't you finish them?"

"Because it's wrong." Not wrong. It wasn't wrong to want them to hurt. To pay. It *couldn't* be wrong. There was no way.

"I can show you how to make it right. Show you how everybody can win." He promised.

Wally... smiled.

He could get used to the encouragement for doing what is right. And killing them was so...

*Right*

Joker clamped his large hand down on Wally's boney shoulder. Wally stiffened.

In his...past life...he may have liked physical contact. But not anymore. Now he couldn't stand it. It bothered him on so many levels.

But he also stiffened because, this was Joker. Joker. His best friends enemy. Who's tried to kill Wally's little bird multiple times.

"I hear you're the one that's causing all the mayhem. The one they want to break." Joker said conversationally.

Wally gave a curt nod.

He was so conflicted.

Enemy. Enemy. Enemy.

Killer.

Psychopath. Murderer. Demented Clown. Enemy.

But at the same time, it felt so right. This all felt so right.

 

And right was a welcome feeling in a place of so much wrong.

"What's your name my boy?" Joker asked pulling out a seat for him in the cafeteria.

He hesitated.

"Come now, worried? About your identity? We're in the same boat! There are no secret identities in DMI!"

Hearing the Joker say a motto that Wally practically lived by struck a cord in him.

"Wally West. Ex Kid Flash." He answered holding his hand out.

Joker shook it.

"You must know who I am then. Say...is this 'Jet' or 'Rhett' that I've been hearing so much about Robin by chance?"

Wally's expression darkened.

"Oh! Oh! I get it! Protecting your friends! It's okay! You don't want to tell me I won't pry! We're allies in this place!"

Wally was...confused.

On one hand- Enemy! Manipulator!

On the other... He made allies with former villians in the last DMI prison too. They *we're* all in the same boat. Was it...was it wrong to want to exclude the Joker just because he was the Joker? 

He *did* just drop the identity thing just like that.

Or was he playing a game?

Joker slung and arm over his slender shoulders and passed extra food over to him. 

"You must be hungry! You're a speedster! Eat up! I won't judge!"

Wally ate, still worried about the clown that was in such close proximity to him. 

"Hey, you're new to Arkham, so if you're ever confused or someone tries anything with you just come talk to me, okay?"

He looked at him in the eyes, making Wally back up a bit. He felt as if he were being cornered.

He nodded.

"I mean it. We've *got* to stick together if we're going to get through this. Hey, maybe someday you can even count me as a friend instead of just a prison allie!" 

Before he let Wally digest that, he left to go be shuffled back into his cell.

Maybe...maybe he was really being sincere?


	3. Arkham

Wally knew that Gotham wasn't pretty; and OF COURSE he knew that Arkham was going to be crazy.

But nothing could have prepared him for this.

It was madness.

Trays were being thrown, guards were shoved up against walls.

And Wally was just standing there, taking it all in. 

He didn't know what to do.

On one hand: he's started food fights in DMI before. It was fun! And it pissed off the guards like no tomorrow.

But on the other hand: These people were hurting people who were just doing their jobs.

How many times had he been with Robin, talking about the poor guards who tried their hardest to handle Gothams most dangerous?

Why was this so *difficult?*

He chose to stay out of the way, avoiding everyone and camping out in the corner,*away* from the action.

"Hi-ya kiddo! How're doin?" Joker asked cheerfully.

"Fine."

"Confused?"

"I- -"

"Ya I get it. Despite popular belief, even I don't like to see the innocent people get hurt. Because some of them are, I'm mature enough to see that."

He patted Wallys shoulder, nodding along to his words, giving him such an empathetic look Wally's heart *hurt*.

"But you have to admit. Some of them aren't. That IS the mature thing to do."

Wally swallowed. That was...true. Wally was innocent. The children in the old DMI building were innocent. 

Innocent.

"Some of them looked at you and saw nothing but a monster, even when you saved sweet old lady's." he sighed. "It's a shame no one knows. I bet Batman would love to find out about this. About DMI."

...Batman.

Batman! This was HIS city.

Robin was here. He was *here*.

Wally's heart nearly stopped. 

Batman put villians in Arkham ALL the time. What if he passed by his cell. What if they *saw* him?

...

 

Batman puts villians in Arkham all the time.

But Villians also got *out* all the time.

Whats to stop him? 

Why should he wait here? 

He smiles (grimaces) at his cell mate, Ella.

It used to be Ella and Mitch.

But Mitch (a civvie, a painter, a meta) didn't make it. 

Why should the innocent have to stay in this awful place?

...

Asking the Joker for help escaping after being so cold to him at first seemed wrong, so he's got to gain his trust first.

(I'm just gaining his trust. I'm playing *him*.)

He plays his part of confused hero well, smiling when the Joker jokes and so on. Its not as hard as it should be.

In fact the thing thats getting harder: is pretending to not appreciate someone treat him like he's worth something.

...

He's met Harley Quin today.

She's not...bad.

She's not scary or mean or... Villainous.

And the Joker...he cares?

He was sad to see her caught but seemed delighted to hug her in the commons.

Harley looks at Wally with confusion after hugging the Joker vigorously.

Joker swept his hand towards Wally with a flourish.

"This is my new pal Wally. Wally West. The ex-Kid Flash but that hardly matters. He's one of those...DMI prisoners." He whispered the last part, as if to spare Wally.

And- and- that shouldn't feel as kind as it is.

And Harley...

She smiled and hugged him and seemed keen on taking care of him and-

-and he's forgotten what that feels like.

...

Harley is a lot like Aunt Iris.

She loves to bake, he's learned. She is obsessed with his red hair. She loves hugs- and he can't stop feeling warmth blossom in his chest when she does.

Theres still- a feeling-

A physical feeling of danger when someone touches him.

(lab tables- "Strap the experiment down dammit!"- punches- "Lets see how much the little freak can heal from"- chemicals- "How will his speed react to this"- electric shocks- "Can we make him...faster?!"- )

But Harley doesn't mean any harm- and- how wrong is it that he's*missed* affection?

And theres still- a mental feeling of danger-

(Robin, bleeding from a head wound from a mallet swing- bombs killing people in Gothams streets- people laughing to *death*-)

But it- 

-its so nice

He needs- he needs more time- 

Until he can ask to get out the next time they escape.

And then he'll leave, go home, and never look back!

 

But maybe he can stay just a little longer.

Just a little longer.


End file.
